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Incredibly Driven
Christopher Reeve's untimely demise came as a complete surprise
to many. How could someone with the best of medical care succumb
to complications from skin sores? Pressure sores, or decubitus
ulcers as they are called, seem like such an easy thing to
prevent. All you have to do is stay off of it, right? And
yet, they are a tremendous problem for people with paralysis.
I myself have had sores that have me kept me prone, on my
stomach, in a hospital for nine months. I was luckier than
Chris, though. My skin soars did not develop a deadly sepsis,
or infection, as his eventually did.
Chris was a C2 quad which meant that he needed a ventilator
to help him breathe My injury (C5-6) was not as high as his
and therefore I do not have to struggle for every breath like
he did. I know, though, from my own experience how much time
and energy it takes to just live with a disability. As I watched
Chris over the years, I was amazed that he had the energy
to do and accomplish as much as he did. He demonstrated to
everyone that losing your physical mobility does not mean
that you lose your desires or passions . Indeed, Chris was
very involved in Life. He was a husband, father, actor, director
and advocate. People who worked with him said that he was
incredibly driven. He often spent 16 exhausting hours a day
sitting up in his chair working on his various projects.
A Balancing Act
One thing that I have learned in dealing with my own disability
is the importance of balance. To keep healthy, one has to
consider the physical, intellectual, spiritual and emotional
factors in your life. Good nutrition and exercise are important
but so are social and emotional factors. Chris was very fortunate
to have had the loving support of his wife, family and friends.
Having good strong relationships is very healthy and healing.
His passion for a cure for a variety of disabilities was a
strong force in his life. It gave him a purpose. It also gave
hope to many -- there are some 50 million disabled in the
US alone. His dedication to improve the quality of people's
lives extended to other issues confronting the disabled, such
as their high unemployment (70%) and poverty (20%) rates.
Limitations
To pursue his passion, Chris pushed his physical limits. Instead
of resting his stressed-out body, he chose to stay committed
and be physically involved. His spirit and his big heart,
though, were just too much for his body. Franklin D. Roosevelt
observed that "Physical strength can never permanently
withstand the impact of spiritual force." Christopher
may have somehow sensed this. Near the end his attitude changed.
After finishing his A&E special in New Orleans, he informed
his associates that he probably would not direct again. Even
so, he never lost his passion for his vision. Three days before
he died he went to Chicago for another one of his long 16
hour days.
We all have limitations. Some of us have obvious physical
ones, like Chris. Others have less obvious ones; such as hearing,
emotional, social or attitudinal. Chris showed us that no
matter what Life has in store for you, don't give up. You
can choose, like he did, to do the best you can with what
you have. We all have our challenges, our barriers, to overcome.
That is part of being human. Chris' commitment and passion
still inspire us. They are examples of some of our best and
noblest of human traits. How ironic that the "Man of
Steel" in film, would have such spirit and strength of
character to do "great things" in real life. In
less than 10 years, he managed to bring international attention
to what is possible. What he has started will continue on
and influence the lives of many for years to come. He will
be missed!
Quote 1- Denis Diderot, Pensees Philosophiques (1746)
Quote 2-Dana Reeve, e-mail letter October 2004
Quote 3 - Franklin D. Roosevelt, speech at Scranton, Virginia,
May 4, 1941
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